Governor signs Jones bill to help stop theft of stolen tires

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones to require a person selling used tires to comply with the same standards set for used vehicle parts.

“I was told about a man who came to Michigan for a trip and rented a car, and on one of his days here, he parked in a parking structure and enjoyed visiting the city. When he returned to his car, it was sitting on cinder blocks with its tires gone,” said Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “This is not the type of Pure Michigan we want to promote, and this is not the only case. There has been an alarming increase in the number of tire thefts in Michigan over the last couple of years.”

Michigan law currently requires certain record-keeping by dealers who buy or receive used motor vehicle parts, such as any major component part, a dashboard, stereo, radio or seat.

Senate Bill 331, now Public Act 112 of 2016, expands the law to include transactions involving used motor vehicle tires, tire wheels or rims and continuous tire tread. In addition, parts dealers may not purchase these items with cash.

Under the new act, a dealer violating the extending requirements would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A second or subsequent violation would be a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

“This will help reduce the number of stolen tires and rims by making the process of selling these items more transparent,” Jones said. “The best way to stop people from stealing tires is to cut off their ability to make money off the stolen items, and that is what this does.”